& Family Support Centre
Teenagers
"Achieving adolescence"
Symptoms persist from childhood for most individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) at least into teenager late adolescence and early adulthood.
For many, this disorder of the brain's management system not only persists, it becomes more problematic in the inevitable challenges of early adulthood where one has to manage much more for oneself.
A young person with ADD/ADHD moving away from home to go to college or university, suddenly they find they are responsible for getting out of bed in time for morning classes, to getting to take their ADD/ADHD medications, to getting a decent night's sleep before a major exam, or getting started on a term project at least a few days before it is due.
Many students with ADD/ADHD learn to cope well with this sudden withdrawal of parental support. For others low grades and lost credits announce the need for more adequate self-management. This is a massive challenge, which can be especially difficult for those with ADD/ADHD. Others include working to link schooling to a career, managing money, seeking and keeping a job, moderating substance use, developing and sustaining satisfying appropriate relationships and using adequate medical care.
Because those with ADD/ADHD often live much in the present and have a hard time keeping in mind a realistic picture of the future, their schooling is often not linked closely as it could be to career plans. It may be that having been discouraged by persistent struggles in school, they may underestimate how their talents and skills might be useful in a work setting where, unlike school, they can specialise in using skills they have developed while co-workers manage other aspects of the job.
Money management can be a major challenge. Young people with ADD/ADHD often report that they make too many impulsive purchases in stores or online. Even those who are working full time and earning reasonable wages and salaries may find it difficult to stretch their pay enough to cover rent, meals, mobile phone bills, power and other costs while still having some money in their pocket to go out once in a while. Chronic problems with planning and being impulsive with money can have lasting painful consequences in adulthood.
Research has shown that young persons with ADD/ADHD if not using appropriate treatment are more likely than their peers to get caught up in excessive and persistent substance abuse.
With relationships, some will prematurely latch onto one friend or partner who functions as their caretaker, steadily giving support and encouragement to the partner with ADD/ADHD while not getting much back in return.
When it comes to medications when a young person has moved away from home to live independently they are often not accustomed to keeping track of when to take their medications or when follow up appointments or medication refills need to be made. This may be made more difficult when co-existing conditions arise such as depression or anxiety problems, sleep problems or substance abuse. In such circumstances more intensive treatment or combined medications may be needed.
In many cases it may be advisable to delay driving lessons and licences until late teenage 18 to 20 years to minimise risks from inattentiveness, lack of concentration, self-control, impulsivity and risk taking when driving. To help parents / caregivers need to model safe driving habits such as always buckling seat beats before driving, checking mirrors, using turn signals, adjusting to weather conditions, maintaining a safe following distance from other cars, not talking on hand held mobile phones while driving and keeping to the speed limits.
While the road for teenagers with ADD/ADHD is often bumpy, with adequate treatment and reasonable support most young people can successfully meet the challenges of young adulthood.
For further information please feel welcome to contact the ADD Assessment and Family Support Centre:
Phone: 04 383 5061 |
Fax: 04 383 5063 | Email: addtrust@xtra.co.nz |